In the game of phones, it's important to have reasonable expectations

It seems like the whole internet hates everything right now. In other words, just another day, right?

Whether you're mad at Google about the Pixel 2 XL display, or Apple and (insert T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint or Verizon here) because ordering an iPhone X was a shitshow, or any other dumbass stunt from a tech company you need to realize being mad is partially your fault.

Every tech company screws up. Even Google.

Now we will see who reads the whole article and who sees the first couple of sentences and rushes to the comments. It's not your fault that Google's Pixel 2 XL doesn't have a great display. It's not your fault it took so long for a web page to load sk your iPhone X isn't coming until the end of November. It's not your fault Microsoft seems to have thrown in the towel for good with Windows phones and is all about Android. Blame for all of these snafus lies squarely on the shoulders of the respective companies involved and the people in charge of them. But it seems that people are mostly upset because they did a bit of assuming. That assuming will get you every time.

Yes, Apple should have expected everyone to stay up all night and rush to order a phone as soon as they could, and Microsoft should expect their customers to be a little pissed that development seems to be focused on another platform. But I'm going to use Google as an example here, mostly because we're all Android fans and are more familiar with the whole thing.

If you're mad at Google for its response to the 2 XL's display, well, that's all you. And it's all about your expectations.

You should expect Google to spare no expense and have the best display money can buy on a phone that starts at $849.99.

I do. Maybe Google doesn't have its own factories spewing smoke into the Chinese skies, but they've been putting their names on phones and tablets and a bunch of other stuff for a while. They know what's up. And hey, this is the same Google that gave us three generations of Chromebook Pixels, and they all have a display like you won't believe. The Pixelbook has a display to die for. Even the original Pixel phones have pretty good screens.

But this is also the same Google who gave us the Nexus 9 and over-the-air updates that ruin things and Orkut and Dodgeball and then took away things like Reader or replaced Google Wave with Google+. Google Wave could have totally been Slack, and I'm bitter about it. Probably always will be. It could have been so good.

I think there is a pit filled with Nexus 9s somewhere close to all those ET Atari cartridges.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that we've seen Google fail, or at least fail in our own eyes. They are just a tech company and like all tech companies can make the wrong decision just as easily as they can make the right one. We knew this. We just don't like to think about it. In fact, when someone does think about it and gets all up in the comments somewhere being negative and reminding us a lot of people seem to take it personally and go for the cyber-jugular. When Google shows off a new service and someone inevitably says, "it will probably suck, remember Google Currents lol" there's a very good chance that person will be right. Google seemingly will try anything, and that means a lot of things aren't great.

We should also expect Google to fail sometimes.

Back to the Pixel 2 XL. Google (and Apple) invested a lot of cash into LG Display. They didn't come right out and say why, but it's not hard to guess; having one company (Samsung) be the only supplier of high-quality phone-sized displays is not a good thing. When LG can crank out 50 million 5.5-inch OLED panels that are sexy and beautiful it will be easier to use them in the products you design. And the display in the Pixel 2 XL was deemed to be good enough to use right now. It's Google's phone. It gets to decide what parts to use. And we are allowed to not like it.

And that's where a reasonable expectation ends. Some of the things I've seen on the internet about global recalls or the end of the Pixel line is stupid. If you wrote those words in public where other people could read them, you should feel bad. The same goes for anyone expecting Google to magically fix the display or to revise the product and generation 2 would come with a different panel. Dumb. Stop it.

Hate the Pixel 2 XL if you want, don't buy it, and make sure you comment on every article on every blog about it. But stop thinking there is any better way to address it than what we got from Google's VP of Engineering.

Seang Chau led the teams that brought us things like the original Motorola Droid and Skype on mobile. He's been in an executive position at a huge tech company since 1999. The guy knows his stuff, and he also knows the business. His response is absolutely perfect, even if we don't like it. Wanting him to walk out on a stage and say how sorry Google is and that everyone should send back their Pixel 2 XL in exchange for an all-new one is not a reasonable expectation. If you're mad because he didn't, that's your fault.

I bought a small Pixel 2, figuring I'd pick up the bigger one later if I needed to. But I've spent the past couple of days with a loaner here and really looked at the display. I did all the things I see in all the YouTube videos and yeah, I saw a lot of things that aren't great. Things that would make Samsung reject the panel before it ever got put on a $900 phone. I will say that this display is bad and shouldn't have shipped the way it did. But I could use this phone (if it weren't so damn skinny and had a bezel to hold on to) because the screen is good enough when I'm doing my regular phone things.

Just being "good enough" sucks. I wish it was better and might question the price, but I can't stand on an internet street corner and yell at people for buying the Pixel 2 XL.

If you have a Pixel 2 XL and don't mind the display, awesome. Use the hell out of it and ignore people preaching the gospel of Note 8. If you can't stand the display, send it back and buy a different phone. If you haven't ordered one but want to, go for it. You'll have time to check it out and decide for yourself if the display is so bad it kills puppies. Just don't expect anything to be different because you want it to be different and you won't be disappointed.

This is why we should look at specs and buy a well rounded phone and not buy into the hype. Buy a cellphone nicely equipped that looks nice and will age nicely and you can avoid the hype. Cause that's what it really is, hype. Cell phones are better than ever, lasting longer and doing more. The saying is true about mid-range phone in that they're comparatively inexpensive and more capable - challenging the low end of flagship-tier if you buy smartly... IPhone8, IPhone X, Pixel 2...it's all just a regular day for me when they debut.

"Cell phones lasting longer" Really? My Nexus 6P failed at 18 months. And Google acted like they had nothing to do with it. And they still don't unless you bought it from them. I'm perplexed with all these new phones coming out at $800+ dollars and they are not perfect.

There are many excellent phones out there,so being hung up on one is pretty time wasting. I have a HTC U11 and love it. If you like the Pixel 2 XL and can look beyond the screen (beast camera, smooth experience) then good for you.

That out the way, I hate that people are giving Google a pass on a bad screen. If everyone remembers, people tore apart the Axon 7 for the signal problems, which was addressed in future updates. I'm just saying those same people aren't doing the same to the Pixel 2 XL and their below average screen.

People should quit complaining and understand that if they don't want the Pixel XL2 then go buy another phone instead. I almost pulled the trigger for a Note 8, but instead decided to breathe new life into my LG G4 which now has an unlocked bootloader, is rooted, and has less bloatware than most phones out there. It's paid off and over two years old with no screen burn in. It runs as well as just about anything out there. It May not have the best screen, but the screen is more than good enough and it has a removable battery. The point being, quit whining and take what you already have and turn it into a beast as much as it's possible.

Heck, if you can't or choose not to root then just get a good launcher. Had a Moto G1 for the longest time. It ran Kit Kat 4.4.4 but you'd swear it ran Lollipop and then Marshmellow before I had to replace it succumbing to a bootloop error. I like you breathed new life into my old device and enjoyed it very much until it's better end...

For me, Google's biggest blunder that stopped me from getting a Pixel 2 was getting rid of the headphone jack. It had everything else going for it and it didn't make sense given that Google poked fun at Apple for doing that last year.

Actually, if google takes the pixel work and transfers that present camera and upgrade promiseto a low cost Android one like project pricing them in the 500 to 700 range, they might clean up....I love my note 8, but a thousand dollars is a bit much to pay for a phone that may or may not be relevant three years into the future....

Oh it is so tiring to see people complaining over and over about the Pixel 2 XL. Just don't buy it if you don't want to, I don't even have the opportunity to buy one due to being in country where it is not available. Sometimes a **** up happens, like in this case. Buy the phone you want and move on. Oh by the way I like these skinny tall screens, for my use case they are perfect.

If you want simplicity (read: a feature-free but fast and smooth software experience), you don't need to get it from stock Android. You can always get an iPhone. Then you'll get fast updates and security fixes. And you won't have to compromise on the large screen or FPS placement.

I'm not joking, either. I almost switched to an iPhone this year. They're great phones. All the novelties of Android have worn off on me.

I have no idea what you mean unless you have some weird definition of "third party". A third party app simply means it's not made by Apple. My wife's iPhone 6S Plus has all the third party apps I'd ever need. Many of them even work better than the Android versions. The only real difference is that I had to pay for some apps that have free equivalents on Android because there are no free apps for iPhone that do the same thing.

Essential. Ignore all the naysayers who don't own one. Phone had a rough start that hurt people's feeling. But the phone is top notch, fast, stock Android, bloatware free, amazing hardware, and a very good improving camera

Go to a Verizon store and check out the phone yourself. I have a Pixel 2 XL and the screen issue is way overblown and I think you would come to the same conclusion if you examined the phone in person. You could also order the phone from Google, try it and return it if you don't like it.

The bottom line is Google put trash lg displays on it's new Pixel 2 XL and they don't give a damn if it's customers like it or not. But hey, as long as it has "pure Android" all the Google fanboys are cool with it. I expect so much more from a company like Google and this is totally unexceptionable. I also expect much more from Jerry because a lot of people value his opinion and this article is also trash.

Bummer. On the other hand, I would be happy with FHD and better battery life, so I doubt the Pixel 2XL display would bother me. The high price for what's being called a bad display would be most bothersome, I think.

If Pixel wasn't the only Android phone available where I could get software and security updates on a regular basis I wouldn't be so upset that I had to wait another whole year hoping and praying that Google would put out a phone worth what they are charging for it.

Just going by my unit the blue tint issue seems way overblown. My phone goes from a "normal" display to a cool display when I look at it from an angle. My only real concern is premature burn-in but even that is a minor issue. My Pixel XL has some sever burn-in from the navigation bar but the only time I notice it is when I restart my phone and the bright white boot up screen is showing.

I primarily bought the phone for it's software and camera and it delivers in the software and camera department. I'm a satisfied customer.

I think Google will cover it if the burn-in happens fairly quickly but not in the long term. Burn-in is a usual consequence of an OLED screen so I couldn't imagine Google covering it after a person used the phone for a year.

I guess I'm the only one who likes the display on the 2XL. Much easier on the eyes than any Samsung phone and I like the way they set up the colors more than they did on the V30 which I believe is the same display.
As far as how this phone runs as a daily driver in comparison to to the others, it is not close, the 2XL is superior. This is what matters to me most so that is the phone I bought. I suggest everyone else does the same, buy the phone you want.

I came from Windows Phones. Loved them. Then the money shore Nutella showed up. I thought I'd never be content with a phone after that having fooled around with some other andrpid and iPhones previously. Bought the Note 8 and love it. Samsung really did a nice job with this one. I hear people complaining about the ratio. I love it. Get a big screen that I'm not fumbling with when trying to use one hand.

I think what it comes down to is that we all have a little fanboy in us and feel hurt when that loyalty isn't reciprocated.
For instance, the fact that most people (based on people I know any way) like the option of a headphone jack, is of no value or important to the tech industry. It will just fleece us for blue tooth buds.
Apples blueprint on how to cash in on loyalty works, and all tech companies are learning that. We don't have to like it, we just have to pay for it.

What did Google have to gain by releasing the flawed, overpriced Pixel 2 XL?

Google has done serious harm to their brand. Yes, they can come back from the screw up.... Samsung certainly recovered from their battery crisis.

If there was leadership at Google with integrity, the Pixel 2 phones would have been cancelled, never shipped. Google would have earned a tonne of credibility and brand loyalty if they shut down the **** show their Pixel 2 has become. Not a chance they didn't realise they were shipping a seriously flawed product.

Google could not have picked worse timing for the Pixel 2 abortion. At stake is the next generation of cell phone buyers.... That is where the fight is... Apple has a very appealing iPhone X (the 8 not so much). I'd expect Apple will end up with a huge proportion of first time smartphone buyers in Western countries.

Google was under a lot of pressure to deliver..... Google choked with the Pixel 2.

A separate topic is the 18:9 hate.... Lol, in a 6 inch phone 18:9 is the only thing that makes sense. It is not appealing to go back to a 16:9 phone... I used my old one for a bit... It felt foreign... And that surprised me.

One caveat... An edge to edge display only works well when a case is used. The Defender case on, uh, the latest phone I dare note mention (lol, typo intended) is perfection.

I want Google to succeed, and bring something to market I'd buy... But beyond the screen snafu: no wireless charging, no headphone jack, no expandable storage... Therefore, no thank you.

A phone this expensive should be perfect... especially the display. Flagship Prices have jumped to ridiculous levels recently - people are right to be annoyed when you get screen burn-in after a week. All the people pretending it's ok obviously have more money than sense or the fanboy in them is too strong for their own good.

I will never buy a flagship day one again because of the huge price jump. It makes me sad - but there it is. I'm looking at getting the Huawei Mate 10 Pro sometime next year when the prices have become a little more sensible... Pixel 2 / Note prices won't drop for a year at least.

How...? Google have spun this - but admitted the display sucks. The only way it can get better is if they redesign it with a better display and release a new version next year some time. If they do that - they should offer free upgrades for everyone who adopted early.

Great article Jerry. And +1 for sure on Pixel 2. Wasn't sure, went to local Verizon store, they happened to have a kinda blue. Picked it up. Have fallen in love. Was used to bigger screen phones, but it is just fantastic. I asked myself, why do I want a Pixel phone? I want fast updates, guaranteed 3 major rev upgrade, an amazing camera, Pixel speed and performance, and I want to see what they can do with Lens and other new features. I get that with the Pixel 2 at a more reasonable price. Maybe the Pixel 3 XL has a good screen. If so, maybe trade in the Pixel 2...but every day I use the Pixel 2 the more I think I may just keep this thing...it just feels...Right. Its so light in my hand, so easy to use with one hand. And best of all, I won't be seeing articles for the next year on how much my screen sucks and second guessing a decision to stay with the 2 XL.

For me personally, I am more sad then angry that I won't be buying pixel xl and I really wanted to. I love my note 8 but I would have switched for vanilla experience, stereo speakers and super camera. Here in India xl costs more than 1100$ and is 100$ more than note8. I don't see the value in it anymore all because of screen.

Yes. In the UK Carphone Warehouse sells the Note 8 for £869 and the Pixel 2 for £799. But if you buy them on contract you can get them for £64/ month with £20 down on the Pixel 2 and £30 on the Note 8. This reduces the difference in cost from £70 to only £10. For £10 over 2 years I would take the Note 8 over the Pixel even though I prefer Google's software to Samsung's.

Still waiting to see the adjustments and updates from Google on the Pixel 2 XL. If I like them, I'll give them a grand for one. If not, I'll Keep my Pixel XL and wait another year. My iPhone X arrives the 3rd. Can't wait to see if any mini crises are awaiting that model...thanks goodness for return periods!

Your iPhone X will have a Samsung OLED in it so likely no major screen issues (unless Apple tried to shave some costs and get much lower spec'd screens, though I doubt it considering the phones price). Of course there might be other issues, maybe Face iD, already rumors they had to lower acceptable specs on the dot projector for it due to needing more units being manufactured faster. Though I doubt it will make a difference.

Unfortunately the issues in the LG V30 and Pixel 2 XL show they are a decent way off from competing with Samsung. Hopefully that invested money isn't in vain. Apple still ended up locking down Samsung screens for it's iPhone X despite investing in LG too.

Still I hope LG makes progress. Maybe with all this public criticism this will really motivate them to address some of these issues faster.

And they make awesome LED TVs. My LG TV is absolutely amazing. The picture quality and design are just brilliant. So I am happy to invest in LG so that they can compete with Samsung, who also make a beautiful TV.

What do you thing the date where it was at the point of no return? Where they had the choice to drop LG's 6" display and attempt to negotiate a supply deal with Samsung? I am not privy to the dark underworld of phone parts, but I suspect that the date in question was quite some time ago. Google took a chance and let LG run with it with the hopes that they would have ironed out all the kinks. LG couldn't deliver, but by the time this became clear, Google realistically only had two choices; release with a not-so-perfect display, or cancel the 2XL. Now, the latter would have been monumentally stupid if you ask me.... this isn't like a company releasing a phone that could burn your house down...

The reality is it probably wasn't an option. Samsung is pumping out a ton of it's own devices using the screens and Apple is using Samsung OLEDs for their iPhone X which is rumored to have been running into supply issues for it. So they'd have to outbid Apple for the limited amount of high end, large OLED screens available (The smaller Pixel 2 already does us a Samsung OLED).

This is why both Google and Apple have invested money into LG to improve their OLED screen making capacity and quality.

The most practical paths Google would've had might have been:

1) Just stick with a high end LCD screen... of course this might have prevented them from being Google Daydream ready, so competing priorities here
2) Better Quality Control... some of the issues seem like they may simply be worse on some panels rather than others, so some good QC might've mitigated the prevalence of the worst cases being out there. At least some better QC on review units sent out.
3) Better post-issue messaging. Issues happen, it's just a reality, they haven't handled the communication of the issues well at all, basically some of the worst type of spin pretending their issues are equal to typical screen issues, with enough of a seed of truth to make it sound legitimate. Honest messaging when an issue arises goes a long way.

The Pixel phones are still great phones, they just have a major flaw and people shouldn't lower their expectations for it or Google even if they decide screen quality isn't as important as other things... especially at this price point (and $850 phone)

Spot on Jerry, I have both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. So undecided, like the bigger screen on 2 XL but also like the screen better on the 2. I think I'll probably settle with the 2 XL eventually. The screen is not the best no doubt but tech reporters saying Google should recall this and all, I'm like are these people crazy? Also looks like some people don't get why people love the Pixel in the first place before recommending the Note 8.

Actually, being "good enough" doesn't sucks. That's why I chose the Moto X4 Android One. $400, minus the Nexus 5X trade-in, for about $265. This'll last me a couple years. Now if they'd (Google and Motorola) only include the Android One into the Android Beta Program.

To be fair, I think Google set up some of the expectations in their talk, giving the impression that the 2 XL is much better than even the 2, especially in color reproduction. I don't think that's a fair thing to claim if you can't stand behind it.

That said, I have grown to love the display, in spite of its blue shift. My tweets might not demonstrate it, but I wasn't sure about the screen at first. I just had trouble seeing some problems others have seen. Now I think the colors are much better than my wife's Pixel XL, which was just fine for me.

I wonder if Google plans to go with the current color set in future phones. I wouldn't put it past them based on their comments. I wasn't sure about it at first, but now I don't think it'd bother me as much if they do.

Hey, the Nexus 9 wasn't so bad. In fact I'm typing this on one now. It's even managed to not crash since I started typing this - yesterday. But seriously, with a custom ROM I've managed to squeeze reasonable performance out of it. But the sad and annoying thing is that I've had to resort to this because Google have given up on tablets, and for some of us that really sucks. I'd like to find that pit you write of and grab a couple of spares, because I know the battery or the screen or the USB port on this is going to die well before Google deign to release another tablet, which is never.

I'm sorry but this article is horrible... and yes I read the whole thing.

They set the expectations when they set the price. If they want to compete at that price range with the big boys they have to take the same expectations. That's just reality.

It's fine if you still like the Pixel 2 XL, if you are comfortable with your preference or purchase and the positives and negatives of it then you simply don't have to justify that.

"Hate the Pixel 2 XL if you want, don't buy it, and make sure you comment on every article on every blog about it. But stop thinking there is any better way to address it than what we got from Google's VP of Engineering."

This is just garbage... the response, especially the initial one simply is *not* acceptable or appropriate.

"The slight blue tint is inherent in the display hardware and only visible when you hold the screen at a sharp angle. All displays are susceptible to some level of color shift (e.g. red, yellow, blue) when viewing from off angles due to the pixel cavity design."
and
"Extensive testing of the Pixel 2 XL display show that its decay characteristics are comparable to OLED panels used in other premium smartphones. The differential aging should not affect the user experience of the phone, as it's not visible under normal use of your Pixel 2 XL."
Both are provably wrong and multiple users and reviewers have shown cases that proved it was wrong. The blue shows up at very limited viewing angles and far more than Samsung's phones priced in the same range (including the S8 which is much cheaper). Further the image retention/burn-in issue has also been displayed to be worse than comparable phones.

They took a seed of truth, that such issues are inherent in any sort of screen, OLED or not (LCDs lose so much brightness at off angles you don't get a chance to see off colors) and they did an amazing amount of spin on it to avoid admitting it simply is a limitation to their specific screens in how bad it is.

What we need is tech journalists with integrity and courage, to stand up to what are acceptable expectations and to hold the companies and products to the appropriate expectations for the prices of their products.

Saying people need to lower their expectations for a specific product in a specific price range compared to other products is *not* an acceptable suggestion.

That doesn't make any sense if someone " should just purchase the phone that best meets their expectations " but not "to meet their specific demands" what are those original expectations? You realize that their expectations are simply their "demands" as you word it. That's what expectations are, if they don't meet it then they won't purchase it and reviewers should point out objective comparisons with equal expectations for comparable products.

No where did I state that you should purchase a product that best meets your expectation but not your specific demands. Google like any other company has a specific vision for their products. If that vision bests meets your vision then you should consider purchasing the product. If their vision is different from your vision then purchase another product or purchase nothing at all. No company is going to please everyone because we all have different expectations and different priorities.

I do agree with this statement. I had a Galaxy S3. It had microphone issues from the start. Three would not fix it and Samsung sent it back to me still faulty. The phone was unusable as a phone and I had no right to return it at the time. I even went to Trading Standards. I had to ditch the phone within 6 months of purchase. It prejudiced me against Samsung phones and customer service ever since. So I am not ever buying Samsung again. Even though my husband loves his Note 4. I have got low expectations from them now.

I went to play with a Pixel 2XL in the shop. I tried it for a while, looked for blue tint etc. I loved the feel of the phone and the way its software ran. As a consequence I have ordered the phone on contract. For me, I need a phone that works as a phone first and then I like to run a lot of apps most of the day. This phone will meet that need.
So it is my choice, like voting for Brexit. I am making my choice, as I cast my vote, with my eyes open to potential minor irritations for overall gain.

Where did I say anywhere they should use the display I want? What I wanted to hear from them was honesty. I thought I was pretty clear, they talked about their screen issues as if they are normal and every other phone has them at the same severity, when they don't. Phones competing in the same price point don't exhibit the same severity of issues, instead of the spin they should have simply been honest with that. Then this article defended that statement. Which is horrible.

It's not about having high expectations of Google, but for phones at this price point. This article suggests basically people should be lowered their expectations for the Pixel 2 XL despite other phones in it's price point not having the same screen issues. The Pixel 2 XL does some things very well and it's perfectly fair to compare that to others phones that don't do it as well (such as UI responsiveness) but that means it's also both fair and expected to do the same with the things it doesn't do well. What's the point of being a tech journalist if you won't compare phones strengths and weaknesses and old talk about the strengths for one specific phone.

What Jerry is saying is that there was no reason to have high expectations based on Google's track record. If you did you were fooling yourself.

All the reviews I've seen pointed out the flaws the reviewer had with their specific unit and the problems they've heard other people are having. I don't understand why you continue to complain. Purchase another product if the screen is a deal breaker for you.

I didn't buy a Pixel 2 XL. I was waiting for it to come out to consider for my next upgrade, though before the screen issues became apparent (which is interesting since most reviewers pushed out a review so fast they didn't properly look at the screen issues that might occur, a problem with our too fast internet news coverage cycle) I already ruled it out since they didn't support wireless charging and after having that for 2 years I never realized how useful it was.

I agree, as a consumer we vote with our money. Though I expect tech journalists to objectively compare phones and not lower their expectations for a single phone in the same price range as other phones.

I think I kind of get where this article is trying to go, but it feels a bit forced to me. Telling people not to expect excellence in something they pay top dollar for doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And then telling people that it's their fault for being frustrated with Google because Google apparently doesn't hold themselves to a certain level of excellence when customers are paying top dollar?

I don't know, maybe I missed it. I did read the whole thing, but maybe I still missed it...

@dakranii - Honestly the article somewhat contradicted itself. In one breathe, it's right for us as consumers to expect Google to "spare no expense and have the best display money can buy". Then, in another breathe, it's "hey, it's Google, they'll fail sometimes, they did here... but please don't say anything about it or hold them accountable to it."

Even your own verbiage reeks of this sentiment.

Listen, I know people are over-blowing this issue - that's the internet today. And I know Google is not going to come out and apologize for this screen because it's what they used and there's no true fix for it. But to communicate that people should just be quiet and *not* hold Google accountable for settling with a sub-par screen on such an expensive device? That's borderline fascist. And yes, I use that last term as a nod to the overblown issues here...

I'm just enjoying the show. I don't waste money on $800+ phones, so I will enjoy my fully paid for 2014 Moto X, with only slight burn in after 2+ years, until I get the perfectly fine Moto X4 for $400, with an LCD screen that won't burn in. And I'll continue to laugh at all the whining from people who think that spending a mortgage payment for a phone is somehow a wise thing to do.

Free services that Google spent a whole lot more on than they did to make a phone. A multi-billion dollar fail is no big deal to Google. They'll try to make it up the next time. The risk is in not trying something that could turn out to be amazing and really lucrative.

both cost Google money, which yes, Google can tank it and make up the loss, but a consumer making up the loss on a free service (mainly the time investment) as opposed to a $850 monetary loss on a subpar consumer electronics product....

1200 words of "Google sucks at a lot of the time why are you surprised they sucked this time?" Is defending them. If you expected more than the explanation you got, that's your fault for not paying attention.

Agreed. All a manufacturer needs to do in order for me to purchase their product is to meet my expectations, not the expectations of others. I got my 2 XL four days ago and it's a fantastic phone and the display is not an issue for me. It looks fine.

I've seen a lot of videos of the phone display. It's good. Really good. The blue tint is only when you tilt your phone. Who tilt their phone while using it ? They used a more natural look approach on the color but people don't like it. You cant make everyone happy. It'll be fix on in a update soon.

Every person is different and every phone is different. I think it has a pretty bad display, especially after putting it inside a daydream view. It's not the worst display I've ever seen but anyone who doesn't want to spend their money on the phone because of it has a really good point.

I'm not angry at Google anyway, I didn't expect the pixel 2 to be perfect, and was 95% sure I wouldn't get one. Though I don't think these issues should be let lie.

I don't care at all about the iPhone X, I'll never buy anything from Apple anyway, but I might be sad about rings phone if I hadn't stopped feeling a pulse over a year ago...

I'm actually in a good mood with companies at the moment... Super Mario Odyssey hit it out of the park, as the Americans say, there's new stranger things and an episode of the for place to watch... Star Trek Discovery is problematic, but it is my choice to keep watching... I am having issues with the Jim Beam company today, but again that was at my own discretion. Loathe as I am to admit it lol.

I have never seen Samsung screw up so bad to release a phone with a terrible display in 2017. That's more than "screwing up". It's carelessness and greed. People should get perfection if they're shelling out $950 for a device and I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation.

Google spent an extra 875 million dollars so they could use LG displays. Then they bought the displays they needed. No money was saved, no plan to save money was hatched. Google has a spare 70 billion dollars they need to spend somewhere.

Stop saying stupid things. They did what they wanted to do and if you don't like it that's good. Lots of people don't like it. I really don't like it myself. But there's no need to bring nonsense into it.

You're right that it was fixed relatively quickly, which is great! But you said you'd never seen them release a phone with a screwed up display, which they clearly have.

I think it was less about being cheap and possibly about trying to invest in LG to provide a little competition... It cost more to use LG than Samsung displays in the long run. Maybe Google actually realise that monopolies, at least ones that they don't wholly control, are bad for business.

Either way, it still pales in comparison to the note 7 debacle, so like I say, just beware of that pedestal.

Samsung owned up to, and handled, those issues. Google is just dismissing them and telling everybody it’s fine (because there's no real fix for it besides some software manipulation). I own no Samsung devices, just FYI.

Honestly it’s very “Apple” of Google to do this. Make a public announcement telling everybody there’s no issue, when internally they know the screen isn’t really flagship level.

Are they really though? They added another year of warranty and an option to make the screen more saturated. That's not just doing nothing. The only issue it doesn't deal with is the blue tint and after playing with the phone in a store for the 3rd time now I'm reconfirming to myself that it's an insanely overblown issue.

I know you love Samsung products and I am guessing, from your rabid attacks against Google, that you are still smarting from Samsung's abject failure with the note 7. However, I think you should consider being grateful to a company like Google which is investing in building a better market for displays. Yes, they are doing it so that they can eventually profit, but what other companies are actively sinking money into markets just to see them improve? Google is doing a beneficial thing here, a thing that will benefit even customers of Samsung products in the long run (assuming LG becomes more competitive)

While I take issue with OP comment - perfection is unattainable. The FPS being where it is won't be a surprise to anyone buying a Samsung phone. The screen being a bit crap might be a surprise to pixel owners.

Another advocate here for that fad passing and returning to 16:9 a the standard. I had 3 18:9 phones in a row and it made me crave the good old screen ratio again. The only positive thing I can say about tall/skinny phones is that they fit in trouser pockets much easier. They're worse to use one handed, landscape mode is ruined, videos have ugly black bars etc etc

Same here too. With the slew of 2:1 phones, even with midrangers, media consumption for me is affected. Have been perusing sp many of these newer devices but everytime I compare the the way movies is shown on screen with my ancient (by tech standards) Zenfone Laser 2 6" against any 2:1 screen I feel let down. A squished screen is not for me.